Forum: New voting regulations unnecessary

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Susan Smith

December 21, 2011

By Susan Smith ---- The Record Eagle Wed Feb 08, 2012, 02:42 PM EST

The League of Women Voters believes that all citizens should have the opportunity to vote. Bills that have been introduced in the Michigan Legislature would restrict that opportunity by adding unnecessary requirements to absentee voting and to voter registration.

The proposed legislation would require a person to show a photo ID when voting absentee at the clerk's office. This requirement is an unnecessary barrier to voting. There is no evidence of voter fraud in Michigan elections. The clerks who run our elections attested to this fact at a Senate Committee Hearing earlier this year.

For the many people who drive or pass through airport security when flying, a photo ID is a daily fact of life. However, an estimated 10 percent of voting-age Americans do not have photo ID, and the percentages are higher among lower-income people, minorities, young people and senior citizens.

Some people have an extremely difficult time in obtaining a photo ID. A person may have to take time off from work to go to a Secretary of State office and wait in line to apply. Lack of transportation and mobility can also be a problem. Several documents, including a birth certificate, are required. These documents require time and expense to obtain. An official record of birth does not exist for some people.

Proposed legislation would also regulate organizations that help people register to vote. The League of Women Voters has been registering voters for 90 years. Many local leagues provide this service to their communities, registering citizens at community colleges, high schools, churches, senior citizen centers, libraries and other community gathering places.

New laws would restrict the ability of organizations like the League to register voters. Those who register voters would have to be trained and certified. It is not known how frequently training would be offered and how convenient the training locations would be to local communities. These requirements would make it more difficult to conduct registration drives and thus reduce opportunities for citizens to register.

A voter registration drive provides a convenient opportunity to register. The people assisting with registration need do nothing more than ask a person if they are registered, provide a registration form, and return the completed form to the appropriate clerk's office. This work does not require specialized training.

Concerns about third-party voter registration efforts can be addressed through much less intrusive measures, such as providing informational materials on the Secretary of State's website and voluntary, rather than mandatory, training. This approach would avoid unnecessary restrictions on groups, such as the League, which have years of experience.

The League of Women Voters has a long history of supporting necessary election laws that protect the integrity of our elections. Michigan has strong election laws. The new requirements in the proposed legislation are not needed. They erect unnecessary barriers to voter participation in our state.

We should be encouraging people to vote by making voting more convenient and accessible, not more difficult.

About the author: Susan Smith, of Lansing, is president of the League of Women Voters of Michigan.

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